Activate Your Body's Natural Repair System With Dr. Mark Atkinson

Yeah, so exciting.

Okay.

So, um, and I love, you know, your story and your journey, and obviously you're a very curious person like you said, and just looking for that deeper meaning-

Mm-hmm

... and that just continues to drive you to, to uncover new truths a-as you go.

So, um, can we talk a little bit about the health optimization?

Mm.

How do you see that? What are some practical things, um, if you...

You know, when you're working with somebody, where do you start?

Yeah.

I normally start with asking someone why they care about their health.

'Cause if you don't care about your health, chances are you're not gonna make any significant changes.

So it really starts with, I think, having a positive vision for how you want your health and your life to be in whatever timeframe is most relevant.

Could be 10 years out, 30 years out, five years out, one year out.

But it really starts with a positive vision as to what health looks like, feels like, and really importantly, why is it important? Why does it matter to you to maintain and enjoy a good level of health? I think that's the first place to start.

Then the second place I tend to start with my patients is, what are you most fearful of as it relates to your health? Because we can have the attractive field of the vision, uh, but we can also be in touch with our fears, which can actually also fuel motivation as well, but we want both, right?

Yeah.

So we look to our parents, to, you know, people around us and say, "I, I, my greatest fear is Alzheimer's disease.

My, my greatest fear is being in pain.

My greatest fear is being dependent on others." And there's something, if done in a very conscious and kind way, um, it can really bri- bring about a very significant internal shift when we're clear about what I'm really fearful about as it relates to my health and what I want my health to be.

And then that sets us up for motivation and then gets us committed.

And then once we're committed, then there's essentially I call the five fundamental pillars of, uh, of optimal health, and it really starts with mind, which covers mindset, emotions, uh, happiness and stress.

Then there's eat, of course, the nutrition that we have.

There's sleep and recovery.

There's move, which is all about movement and exercise.